Spooling device



June 17, 1930. TAYLOR Q 1,763,871

SPOOLING DEVIGE Filed July 2, 1928 Patented June 17, 1930 STATES ELMIER n. TAYLOR, or Lone BEACH, CALIFORNIA SPOOLING DEVICE Application filed m 2, 1928. Serial No. 289,701.,

This invention relates toa spooling device, leader, traverse mechanism, guide, or rope laying device capable of regulating a cable or rope during winding or unwinding of the same on a spool or drum so that the rope or cable is uniformly and evenly wound thereon. The invention is particularly directed toward a spooling device or traverse mechanism for use on oil well derricks, said device being movable transversely and longitudinally so as to operate efficiently irrespective of the length of the cable being wound upon the drum.

Spooling or rope laying devices have been invented heretofore for the purposes of regulating the winding or unwinding of cables or ropes upon drums. None of these devices, however, have, to my knowledge, been entirely successful commercially. One of the disadvantages inherent to prior devices of this character is that they were power driven, that is, that portion of the traverse mechanism or guide which receives and guides the cables longitudinally of the drum or spool was mechanically driven, generally by means of gears mounted on or connected with the spool.

These prior constructions allowed the spooler to move longitudinally of the drum but no provision was made for moving the spooler transversely'of the major axis of the drum. Furthermore, they rigid mechanical construction of the spoolers of the prior art rendered them incapable of absorbing the whip of the cable or rope being wound.

An object of this invention-is to provide a traverse mechanism of simple and efficient construction.

Another object is to provide a traverse mechanism capable'of moving longitudinally of a drum or spool and also transversely of said drum.

Another object is to provide a traverse mechanism capable of absorbing any whip or jerks in the cable or rope being wound upon a drum. p 1

Another object is to provide an efficient cable spooling device actuated by the cable h itself and by substantially no other extraneone means.

shafts 7 extending in a direction transverse A still further object is to provide aspoolmg device capable of causing the cable or rope being wound to completely cover the drum entirely up to the shoulder of the drum with every lay of cable thereon.

Other objects, uses, advantages and characteristics of this invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of one preferred form of the invention shown in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the cable spooler mounted upon the side of a well derrick above a drum.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a cable s'p'ooler.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along line '33 of'Figure 2 through one portion-of the spooler.

Figure l is a vertical section taken through a portion of the spooler shown in Figure 2 along line 4 4.

Referringto the drawings, 1 rep-resents vertical posts forming a partof a derrick structure of which 2 is a portion of a horizontal member customarily called the head board-of a derrick structure. The drum 3 shown with a lay of cable 4 thereon is suitably mounted near the derrick upon a suitable foundation, the horizontal shaft 5 on which the drum 3 is mounted being journa'led in suitable bearings 6. The shaft 5 eXtends to a clutch and power driven 1nea-ns-notsl1o wn.

The'spooler, traverse mechanism :or guide embracing my invention mounted above the v drum 3 comprises two horizontally spaced to the shaft 5 on which the drum 3 is mounted. The shafts 7 may pass through theheaol boards 2 andbe fastened thereto by any suitable meanssuch as the nuts 8 and 9 or the shafts may be attached or'fastened in any suitable manner to the girth above the head board The method of mounting the device will-vary necessarily with the type of derrick structurean'd with other conditions which may be met in practice. The outer ends of the shafts 7 may be held in collars 10 which, in turn, are connected to supports '11, the other ends of the supports being firmly attached to the uprights 1' or to some other portion of the derrick so "as to maintain the 7 shafts 7 in an immovablehorizontal position. The ends of the shaft 7 may be threaded and the supports 11 connected thereto by means of suitable nuts.

I Slidably mounted upon the shafts 7 are collar's 12 and 13. The collar 13 is shown in the collars and the shafts 7. Both collars 12 and 13 are provided with horizontallyex tending lugs 14. The lugs extending from the collar 12 are provided with a single aperture .through which a bolt 15 may pass. The

fly wheels 23 are mounted upon the shaft lugs 14 extending from the collar 13 are provided with a larger aperture or slot 16 adapted to loosely receive a. bolt 17, the washers" 18 being of suflicient size to prevent the bolt from amming in the aperture 16.. f

,The bolts 15 and 17 passing through the lugs 14 extending from collars 12 and 13, re spectively, pass through suitable openings in transverse members 19.- One of each of the ends of the'transverse members 19 is firmly joined together by means of 'a suitable guide member such as the cylindrical guide member 20 which maybe a section of pipe. A threaded shaft 21 provided with smooth ends is journaled in the ends 22 of the transverse members 19. The shaft21 is so journaled in the ends 22'of transverse members 19 as to prevent said shaft from moving longitudinally, although it may rotate freely. Small 21, bearings 24 being provided between the ends 22 and the fly wheels 23. By means of the above construction, it will be seen that the rectangular frame comprising members.

19, guide 20, and shaft 21 together with fly wheels 23 mounted thereon constitutes a unitary member which may move transversely to the axis ofthe shaft 5 of the drum 3, upon transverseguides 7 by meansof the collars 12 and 13--A certain amount of freeplay' is obtained by means of the bolts 15 and'16passingthrough the members 19 and the lugs 14 i which form a partof the collars 12 and 13,: it

being understood that the bolts :15 and 17 are not made absolutely tight, but a rather loose fit obtained so that the entire framework comprising members 119, 20 and21 may assume various positions varying somewhat from the perpendicular to the guides 7.

11 A carrier frame, cable frame or traverse guide 25 of any sultable structure or design is mounted uponthe guidef2O and the threaded shaft 21.- As shown in Figure 3 the-frame 25 is slidably mounted upon the uide 20 and threaded upon the-shaft .21.. T e frame '25 carries a pluralityof sheaves, the sheaves 26 being mounted with their axes parallel to the members.;19,;while the sheaves 27 aremounted with their axes parallel to guide 20 and threaded shaft 21'. These sheaves or pulleys 26 and 27 are mounted in close formation around a central opening through which the cable 4 is allowed to pass. The details of construction, that is, the method by means of which the sheaves 26 and 27 are freely journaled within the frame member 25 are not shown, as such details-will be apparent to Such travel will cause the rotation of shaft 21 and the rotation of the fly wheels 23.

.After passing over the vertical center line drawn from the top sheaveon the derrick structure over which the cable 4 passescentrally through the drum3, the resulting force exertedupon the framemember 25 will be in the opposed direction, that is, the force would ordinarily tend to move the frame member 25 towardthe left, but the momentum stored up inthe fly wheels 23 is such as to cause the frame member 25 to travel to the extreme right hand limit of its travel and thereby cause the rope '4 to uniformly unwind throughout its entire lay,

At the completion of a lay the fly wheels 23 Ibecome momentarily stationary and then revolve in the opposite direction, enabling the guide or cable frame member to return to its origlnal posit1on.-

When the cable 4 is being wound uponthe drum 3, a similar operation takes place, the I cable 4 causing the guide frame 25 to travel in the required direction and the momentum of the fly wheels 23 causing the'frame 25 to complete its travel until the shoulder of the loo drum 3 is reached, thereby allowing the rope V to winduniformly and drum. By means of this invention every, lay of completely upon the rope or cable wound upon the drum 3 is completed, the inertia of the. flywheels 23 being suflicient to momentarily retain the rope or cable at the shoulders of the drum 3 so that a complete lay is obtained. ;Furthermore, any whip or snap in the cable or rope4 is absorbed by the. spooling device, namely, by

means of the frame '25 and the members 20,

I 19, and 21. The loose coupling between the .collar 13, lugs 14, aperture 16 and bolts 17 therein allow the frame 25 to adjust itself and absorb the inequalities in the line or any rapid variation the angle at which the frame .25 receives the rope or cable 4 It will? 'be understood that as the drum 3 is filled up with cable during a winding operation, the p entire frame member 25 moves outwardly along the guides 7 so that at all times the opening'between the sheaves 26 and 27 can.

3; wheels ried by the frame is substantially vertically above the outer lay of rope or cable on the drum 3.

Numerous changes and modifications may be made in details of construction, without departing from this invention, it being understood that all changes and modifications coming within the skill of the art are en1- braced by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A cable spooling device comprising, substantially horizontal fixed guides transverse to the main axis of a Winding drum, a transversely movable carriage comprising a longitudinal guide, a longitudinal threaded shaft and transverse means connecting said longitudinal guide and'shaft, means connecting the fixed transverse horizontal guides with said carriage adapted to offer a walking support for said carriage and a cable frame movably mounted on said carriage and in threaded engagement with said shaft, said frame being adapted to receive a cable and impart rotation to said shaft by longitudinal motion of said frame.

2. A cable spooling device comprising, substantially horizontal guides operably attached to a derrick structure above a Winding drum, said guides being transverse to the main axis of the winding drum, a transu gagement with said shaft of said carriage and adapted to move longitudinally thereof, a cable receiving means carried by said frame said frame being adapted to rotate said shaft by longitudinal motion of said frame and fly mounted on said longitudinally threaded shaft, said fly wheels being sufficiently heavy to carry the cable frame beyond the center of the drum by reason of their momentum but sufficiently light to be rotated by the force of a cable through the cable receiving meanson said frame.

3. A cable spooling device comprising, fixed substantially horizontal guides transverse to the main axis of a winding drum, a winding drum positioned substantially below and between said fixed guides, a transversely movable carriage comprising a longitudinal guide means, a longitudinally threaded shaft and transverse members connecting said guide and shaft, said shaft being ournaled in said transverse connecting means, means connecting the fixed transverse horizontal guides to said carriage and adapted to offer a walking support for said carriage, a cable frame adapted to receive a cable mounted upon the longitudinal guide and in threaded engagement with the shaft of said carriage and adapted to move longitudinally thereof, fly wheels mounted on said longitudinal threaded shaftand adapted to be rotated by the longitudinal motion of the frame along said guide and shaft, said fly wheel being sufliciently heavy to drive the frame beyond the center of the drum and to the end thereof by reason of their momentum but 'sufiiciently light to be rotated by the pull of a cable through said frame.

4. A cable traverse mechanism comprising, substantially horizontal fixed guides extending transversely to the main axis of a winding drum, a movable carriage upon said fixed guides including a longitudinal guide, a longitudinal threaded shaft, and means connecting said guide and shaft, fly wheels mounted upon the longitudinal threaded shaft of said carriage, and a cable frame movably'mounted on said carriage and in threaded engagement with said shaft, said frame being adapted to receive a cable and impartrrotation to said shaft by longitudinal motion of said cable frame.

5. A cable traverse mechanism comprising a carriage movable transversely to a drum shaft, said carriage including a longitudinal guide, a rotatable longitudinal threaded shaft and means connecting said guide and shaft, transverse horizontal guides adapted to offer awalking support for said carriage, a'c'able frame mounted upon said carriage andin threaded engagement with said shaft and adapted to move longitudinally thereon, and means carried by said frame adapted to receive a cable and thereby impart motion to said frame.

6. A cable traverse mechanism comprising substantially horizontal fixed guides extending transversely to the main axis of a winding' drum, a transversely movable carriage including a longitudinal threaded shaft, collars slidably mounted on said horizontal transverse guides and connected to said carriage so as to offer a walking support therefor, a cable frame in threaded engagement with saidlongitudinal shaft and adapted to move longitudinally thereon, said cable frame being adapted to receive a cable, and fly Wheels mounted on said longitudinal threaded shaft, said fly Wheels being sufficiently heavy to drive the cable frame beyond the center of the drum and to the end-of said ELMER n. TAYLOR. 

